Very Motivated

I think I am way too motivated. I got up at 4:30am on a SATURDAY!!!! I totally gave up some time to sleep in. I had somewhere I had to be this morning and knew that I would not want to go to the gym afterwards, so I got up early and went to get it over with. I also spent almost two hours there too. I started my workout with training for the 5k. I ran for ten minutes straight. Woohoo! My treadmill time was 10 minutes running, 5 minutes walking, 8 minutes running, 3 minutes walking, 7 minutes running, and 2 minutes walking. I also always start with a five minute warm up and end with a five minute cool down. I finished my time with circuit training.

February 27th
10min Warm-up w/foam roller
45min Treadmill
45min Circuit Training
10min Stretching
Mileage: 3.5

Gym Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Weigh-in: 176.9 (I have no clue how I lost over a pound this week after the way I ate throughout the week. I made some unhealthy choices and was in a snacking mood. So I am very excited to have lost some weight this week.)

Stairs!

Today I hit another mile marker. I got on the stair machine and stayed on it for thirty minutes. Thirty!!! Anyone who has used a stair machine knows its a workout. I always stopped at ten minutes. Yesterday, I decided to go for fifteen. If I had more time yesterday I might have done it longer. I felt like I could. This is why I decided to go longer today. I did not start to tire until around twenty five minutes. I thought that was awesome. I always see people use this machine and stay on it no shorter than a half an hour. To me it seemed like forever. I never thought I could do that. Today I was able to accomplish it.

February 26th
10min Warm-up
30min Elliptical
30min Stairs
5min Stretching
Mileage: 5.25

Gym Time: 75 minutes

Off the C25K Program

I have totally gotten off track from the C25K program. I have not looked at it at all for week number five and have not done what I was supposed to do. I thought the whole week I was supposed to run five minutes and walk three minutes for three cycles. I just looked at it and I was totally wrong. I was supposed to do this for the first day, but then each day it changes. I was supposed to run for eight minutes twice with a five minutes walk in between. On the third day I was supposed to run for twenty minutes. I have not done any of this. However, I did try for seven minutes today and hit it. So for the forty minutes I was on the treadmill I did two five minute runs and two seven minute runs, with three minute walks in between. I think this is a good place to be. I will try to do the twenty minutes on Saturday.

I will be getting to the park this weekend also. It is supposed to be sunny, but a little cold. I really don't want to run in the cold, but I need to build up my endurance on pavement.

February 24th
10min Warm-up
55min Circuit Training
15min Stretching

Gym Time: 80 Minutes

February 25th
10min Warm-up
3min Elliptical (waited for a treadmill to become available)
45min Treadmill
15min Stairs
7min Stretching
Mileage: 4.6

Gym Time: 80 Minutes

Back to the Treadmill

It was nice getting back to the treadmill today. My body likes that it a lot better than pavement. I was able to run several five minutes increments. It has been raining the last two days so I am unable to get out and build up my endurance for the 5k. It is supposed to snow the next two days. The weekend is supposed to be nice. I hope it stays that way.

February 23rd
10min Warm-up
60min on Treadmill
10min Abs
10min Stretching
Mileage: 4.56

Gym Time: 90 minutes

New Place For Me To Train

After being suggested by several people I went to a park that is close to my apartment yesterday. It has a very nice walking track and it is flat. I had a little bit better time running. I am still not to where I need to be but with more training I will be.

Today I went to the gym and strength trained. I got on the treadmill for a short time afterwards to fill up my remainder time at the gym.

February 21st
55min Walk/Run at the park
5min Stretching
Mileage: 3.6

Workout Time: 1 Hour

February 22nd
10min Warm-up
50min Strength Training
10min Stretching
15min on Treadmill
Mileage: 1.03

Gym Time: 85 minutes

Reality Check

Today I got up and went to the gym to do some strength training. I spent an hour there and then I went to the park. It is a beautiful day out, so I knew it would be perfect. For those of you who live here in Knoxville, I went to Lakeshore Park. This park has many, many hills and I chose this place to run. I think that was a little mistake. Anyway, I started to run on flat ground (I have no intention of running up the hills) and that is when I got a reality check. I had a rough time. Just as I expected I would, but I was hoping I could push through it. I could not. It is so much different than the treadmill. I thought I was doing well accomplishing the C25K program week to week on the treadmill. I am nowhere close to being able to run the 5k the whole time. So, in the next month I will be getting outside every time it is nice out, trying to build up my endurance. I also think I need to find a high school track to run on to get my endurance up. I was able to finish the 3.1 miles in forty-five minutes, but that is not where I want to be.

February 20th
10min Warm-up
55min Strength Training
10min Stretching

60min Walking/Running at the park
Mileage: 4.2

Workout Time: 135 minutes

Weigh-in: 178.2 (This is so exciting. I am in the 170s, lost more than 2 pounds, and I am no longer obese...I am overweight...according to my BMI.)

February 19

February 19th
10min Warm-up
20min on Treadmill
40min on Elliptical
10min Stretching
Mileage: 5.75

Gym Time: 80 Minutes

Treadmill Differences

I gave my body a break yesterday after nine days of exercising. My legs are still a little sore from the sprints I did on Monday. I am hoping the will get better.

I did my last day of week four today. When I got to the treadmills at the gym all the ones that I am used to were taken. I had to use one I don't normally use. I was not very happy. Every time I get on a different treadmill than the one I am used to I get worn out really quickly. I did the first cycle of my training and was able to get a treadmill that I liked. I finished out the training with more ease. I even went beyond what the C25K recommended. I am really wondering how I am going to handle running on pavement. I hope that it will be easy. If I can't go from one treadmill to another, I might not be able to go from the treadmill to the pavement. This is one of the reasons why I want to get outside and run. Saturday is supposed to be nice and high of fifty degrees so I will definitely get out and run on pavement.

February 18th
10min Warm-up
50min on Treadmill
10min Abs
5min Stretching
Mileage: 3.75

Gym Time: 75 minutes

Sore Legs

I finished day two of week four. I am really getting excited about running. The fact that I can run for five minutes is so astonishing. I will stay at the five minute run until the end of next week. Then it is time to try an eight minute run. I am totally excited about that.

Yesterday I said that I did sprints up the driveway at work. At the end of my work day I also got the kids moving again and turned on a Kid's Walk video from On Demand. The kids did it, but I got into it. Between the sprints and the video, my legs are sore. I was not sure how I would be able to run, but I worked through it.

February 16th
5min Warm-up
60min on Treadmill
5min Abs
10min Stretching
Mileage: 4.35

Gym Time: 80 minutes

Hill Sprints

Today all I did was the circuit training that the trainer put together for me. It some time today getting trough it and I added a second cycle to the second part.

I did do a couple of sprints up the steep driveway at work. This week's theme for the kids is "The Olympics". Since they did not have school today I wanted to have our own olympics. We raced up the driveway several times. Much to my suprise I did not get tired very easily. It actually felt good. I am very tempted to go out and do some more. The park that I want to go run at has hills like the driveway so I am sure I will get my fair share of running up hills. I think it is a great way to prepare for the 5k.

February 15th
10min Warm-up
60min Circuit Training
10min Stretching
Mileage: 0

Gym Time: 80 minutes

Another Light Day

I did a cardio workout today. Nothing big. I was little sore from yesterday, but not much. I am finding that I am more flexible than I used to be. Six weeks until my 5k. Tuesday I will get back to training.

February 14th
10min Warm-up
21min on Elliptical
35min on Treadmill
10min on Stairs
10min of Stretching
Mileage: 4.9

Gym Time: 85 minutes

Improvement

Today I worked with a trainer. I will be sore tomorrow. My legs already have started to hurt. He had me do some of the exercises he had me doing in the fall. I have not done some of them since then. I need to start working on them again. He also added some new and more advanced exercises from the last time he worked with me. That was kind of exciting because that means I have improved in some areas.

He also took my measurements. Since October I have lost six inches on my waist, three inches on my hips, four percent of my body fat. This was very exciting. I hope to continually improve these measurements.

February 13th
10min Warm-up w/foam roller
30min Circuit Training
40min Elliptical
10min Stretching
Mileage: 4.26

Gym Time: 90 Minutes

Weigh-in: 180.5

5 Minutes

I made it to five minutes of running. Woohoo!!! It was tough and I thought my body was ready to give up, but I pushed through it. I totally forgot to remind myself how the C25K went for week 4 so I was incorrect in what I was supposed to do. I ran and walked 3/3 and then 5/5 twice. I was supposed to run three then walk ninety seconds, run five and then walk two and a half, and then repeat. Will do this on Monday. I really want to get outside tomorrow, but it is cold. I will make the decision tomorrow.

February 12th
10min Warm-up w/foam roller
47min on Treadmill
5min on Stairs
10min Abs
10min Stretching
Mileage: 3.75

Gym Time: 85 minutes

A Thoughtful Gesture

I received a card in the mail from a family member yesterday encouraging me in my training. I appreciated it so much. I thank everyone who is reading my blog and also those giving me all the compliments that I have received. It means so much to me and it helps me to push forward.

I spent most of my time at the gym strength training. I am building up my muscles and I am getting stronger. Tomorrow I try for a five minute run. I am so ready to accomplish it.

February 11th
10min Warm-up w/foam roller
45min Strength Training
20min Elliptical
10min Stretching
Mileage: 2.1

Gym Time: 85 Minutes

Week Three Complete

Worked on my C25K training today. I did four reps instead of two for the 1.5/1.5 (run/walk in minutes) and 3/3. I did really well, started getting tired and out of breath towards the end though. Looking forward to trying to run for five consecutive minutes. I will attempt this on Friday or Saturday. I have not decided yet.

February 10th
10min Warm-up w/foam rollers
51min on Treadmill
10min Abs
5min Stretching
Mileage: 3.7

Gym Time: 75 minutes

Light day today. I did some strength training and did the elliptical for half an hour. Finished 3.1 miles in that time. 47 days until the 5k. It is official, I completed the registration yesterday. I am getting excited.

February 9th
10min Warm-up w/foam roller
40min Strength Training
30min on Elliptical
5min Stretching
Mileage: 3.1

Gym Time: 85 minutes

Lessons Learned

I had a rough day yesterday with eating. I went to two parties and did not consider what I ate. Pizza all around. Hopefully, this will not effect this weeks weigh-in. I did not get to the gym or run yesterday either. This morning I woke up with an upset stomach, but decided to go to the gym anyway. I was not sure if I would be able to run, but figured I could strength train. Those ideas went out the window. I tried running and my stomach was fine. I followed the C25K program. Run ninety seconds, off ninety seconds, run three minutes, off three minutes, and repeat. I repeated twice and yes I hit the three minute mark. Woohoo! Having a days rest helped very much.

Three lessons learned in the last couple of days. One, I can not eat like I used too. My stomach has shrunk and if I do I feel miserable. Two, I need to contain myself when going to parties. It is very easy to eat food that is not good for the body and a lot of it. I can eat the food, but in moderation. Three, I need to give my legs and body a day of rest in between training days. In doing so my body will give a better performance.

February 8th
10min Stretch w/foam roller
40min on Treadmill
20min on Elliptical
5min Abs
5min Stretch
Mileage: 5.0

Gym Time: 80 minutes

Not Quite There

I worked on starting week three today. It required running for three minutes and I was unable to get there. I can only do two minutes. Once I get to two minutes my stomach starts to get upset and there is no way I can push further. It might be due to the fact that I have ran four consecutive days and the C25K calls to give you rest between days. My legs and body might be wore out. I am still going to try and get outside tomorrow and run. Then I am going to give myself a day of rest.

On a lighter note, I went to the store to get a new pair of jeans because I have several pairs that are way too big. I fit into a size smaller than the last time I bought a pair of jeans a couple months ago. I was too exited. My waist is shrinking . Woohoo!

February 6th,
10min Warm-up w/foam cylinder
45min Strength Training
55min on Treadmill
5min Stretching
Mileage: 3.61

Gym Time: 115 minutes

Run, Run, Run

Even after I trained last night, I decided to run again this morning. I ran for a minute and off one and a half minutes for twenty-five minutes. I increased my speed today. My goal is to try and finish my 5k under thirty minutes. I believe that I can do this.

We are supposed to get snow here tomorrow, but I am hoping to get to the gym. I am planning on starting week three of the C25K (Couch to 5k) tomorrow. Sunday I am planning to go to a track and run on concrete. I do not want to just train on a treadmill the whole time. I know that there will be a big difference between the treadmill and the concrete.

February 5th
10min Stretch with foam roller
30min on Elliptical
30min on Treadmill
5min Stretch
Mileage: 5.2

Gym Time: 75 minutes

Friday Weigh-in: 181.8

Working Hard

I split my workout today in to two sessions. I went to the gym early this morning and strength trained and walked a mile. After work, I went back to the gym and trained for my 5k. I pushed myself really hard today and went away from my training program. I started out running two minutes and walking two minutes for a total of twenty minutes. This was hard but I pushed through it. Then I ran for a minute and a half and walked for a minute for the next ten minutes. I finished my training session with going back to the "Couch to 5k" program, doing one minute run to one minute and a half walking for ten minutes. I completed a 5k in 41.5 minutes. It needs work, but I think that is awesome with it only being week two of my training. I really feel I have accomplished a lot in the last week and having something to train for has pushed me and inspired me. I am getting really excited about my first run.

February 4th
Workout #1
10min Warm up
50min of Strength Training
15min on Treadmill
5min of Stretching
Mileage: 1.07

Workout #2
42min on Treadmill
5min Cool Down
Mileage: 3.32

Gym Time: 130 minutes

WOW!!!!

Eighteen Months ago I bought a gym membership. I had never been on an elliptical machine, never even heard of one. When I stepped on it and started moving I could barely get through two minutes and was at the lowest speed without it turning off. I have come a long way since then. Today I stayed on it for 1 HOUR! An hour...never thought I could do that. The best part is that I completed 7.1 miles in that hour. That is totally awesome. I feel like I reached the top of a mountain that I have been climbing for a while.

I also hit another milestone. I have been working on touching my toes while keep my legs straight and stretching. I normally just hold onto my ankle and that burns. I wanted to go for it. It has taken a long time, but I was able to do it for the first time today. Woohoo!! Good workout today.

February 3
10min Warm up
60min on Elliptical
5min Cool Down
10min Stretch
Mileage: 7.12

Gym Time: 85 minutes

Back to Training

I had a hard time waking up this morning, due to the fact that I have not gotten up that early in a couple of days. I did some training for my 5k today. At first I was out of breath but the longer I stayed on the better it was.

February 2
10min Warm up
25min Strength Training
50min on Treadmill
5 min Stretch
Mileage: 3.25

Gym Time: 90 minutes

Light Workout Today

I was unable to get out early this morning due to ice, but took one of the kids and went to the gym. I did a low key workout today. Forgot my water bottle so I did not want to work hard to where I was stopping every couple of minutes to get a drink. Tomorrow I have plans to continue training.

February 1st
21min on Elliptical
24min on Treadmill
6min on Stationary Bike
10min working on Abs
5min Stretching
Mileage: 2.9 (not including bike)

Gym Time: 65 minutes